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Connacht have revenge on the mind for Benetton trip

Connacht were beaten 18-14 by Benetton last month
Connacht were beaten 18-14 by Benetton last month

Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins says his side are relishing a second shot at Benetton this weekend, when the sides meet in the quarter-final of the Challenge Cup on Saturday.

The meeting in Treviso will be just over two weeks on from their last clash, when the Italians scored a try in the final minute to defeat Connacht 18-14 in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

And Wilkins says his side will feel like they have a point to prove when they return to Stadio di Monigo on Sunday.

"Any time you lose a tight game you want to have a crack at that team as soon as possible," he said.

"When we looked at the draw and realised we could have been playing Benetton or the Lions, I think we would have welcomed either, and for similar reasons. We felt like we hadn't done ourselves full justice in both games but in very different ways.

"To be going back to Benetton, as much as a home game would be great for us and the supporters, to be going back to the same venue, staying at the same hotel on a similar assignment, it helps focus minds and it's important we build on that previous game through those lessons learned, and maybe one or two things Benetton haven't seen from us before."

As well as losing to Benetton in the URC last month, Connacht were heavily beaten when they visited the Italians in the last-16 of this competition back in April 2023.

And Wilkins (below) says his side are well-versed in how Marco Bortolami's side like to play.

"We know that as well as the physicality of their attack and some pretty exciting Italian internationals in the backline, their kicking game is enormously important to them generating metres down the field.

"For us, in terms of our backfield organisation, in terms of the integrity of the front line, putting pressure on the kickers, how we exit when we do receive the ball deep in our half, there was some really important lessons around that.

"That second half against Benetton [last month], in the review, we spent too much time in our half, and that was credit to them, but there were things we can do better."

The province should have Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham available again this weekend, after the pair returned for the Round of 16 win away to Pau last Sunday.

Jarrad Butler will be unavailable for the return to Italy though, after suffering a concussion in the 40-30 win in France, while Shayne Bolton also picked up a thigh knock in the victory and will miss this week's quarter-final.

The high-scoring win over Pau saw Connacht get back on track after successive defeats in the URC, and Wilkins says it was an important victory for a number of reasons.

"The confidence of having a win, the momentum you get from any win. I think it's crucial for us, especially in this back third of the season where that self belief and the threats you pose, you want to advertise it. You want to feel it, you want to live it.

"You can talk about growth and lessons learned from every game, wins and defeats, but we've been working hard on the things we've learned about ourselves from some of those defeats. At some point you have to turn the dial and see that reflected on a scoreboard.

Connacht saw off Pau 40-30 in the last-16 on Sunday

"I think in terms of our growth as a team, trying to make a statement that we're not just a team that loses and learns, it's incredibly important," he added.

Jack Aungier is also unavailable for this weekend's trip due to a neck injury and will be assessed in the coming days, while Michael McDonald (foot) and Diarmuid Kilgallen (shoulder) both underwent surgery last week.

McDonald is targeting a return to selection by late May while Kilgallen has played his final game for the province, with the injury sidelining him for the rest of the season ahead of his move to Munster.

In better news, the province say they hope Mack Hansen will be fit to return from his shoulder injury at the end of this month, while Argentinean wing Santiago Cordero, who suffered a serious knee injury in his first week at Connacht, could make it back by the end of the May in time for the URC play-offs, should Connacht advance.

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